Any form of punishment that is effective in maintaining law and order is justified. Do you agree?

All the time, we hear the phrase "get things done by hook or by crook" from our teachers and parents, but seldom do we feel the irony in it. For all the civics and moral education we receive, we are told to get the results regardless of what methods we use. That brings me back to today's topic, that is whether any form of punishment that is effective in maintaining law and order is justified.

There are concerns that many countries are so result-driven when it comes to maintaining law and order that they employ inhumane, cruel and degrading punishments. However, it is interesting to note that different countries have different perception of human rights and there is no single institution which can accurately define human rights and determine what is acceptable or not.

Take the examples shown on the video on crime and punishment. In Togo, suspects were made to dip their hands into boiling oil to determine the culprit. This may seem inhumane to the outside world but it is deemed perfectly acceptable to the locals. Furthermore, it is actually effective because the culprit eventually got caught. There are arguments that this punishment is unfair since the victims have to suffer too, and that is not backed with evidence of the crime. However, it was made clear that the permission of the victim was sought before the boiling oil comes in. Furthermore, it correctly identified the culpriti and the crime was uncovered. This might be more effective than the juridicary system in the west which is evidence-based and does not employ such "inhumane" methods. However, once again, it is all about the perception of cruelty.

Another example shown in the video is the shaming of criminals in Houston, America where convicts carry placards detailing their crimes and parade on streets. Some criticise that this punishment is degrading because it takes away human pride and subject them to ridicules and violence from the public. However, it is actually an effective method of deterring crime, perhaps even more effective than imprisonment. It was said in the video that crime rates fell and most of the convicts repented. As "degrading" as it might be, it is effective, and once again "degrading" is just a perception and is not a general view.

In conclusion, any form punishment that is effective in maintaining law and order and is generally accepted LOCALLY should be justified because at the end of the day, it is the law and order of the local area that is concerned, nothing to do with the outside world.